Interesting divide. I prefer someone who is arrogant over someone who is pretentious because at least you know that while their arrogance may be ignorant and fa

Interesting divide. I prefer someone who is arrogant over someone who is pretentious because at least you know that while their arrogance may be ignorant and fatuous, at least it is sincere. You can fix arrogance with some sudden humility, but pretension defends itself to the death because it knows it is an impostor and it is fighting for its survival. I have some sympathy for the beleaguered experts who respond to cranks, but if you are in the professing business, you don't always get to choose your audience. Who cares if someone criticizes an expert, criticism isn't science. Science means reproducible results or GTFO. The only question anyone needs to ask of their amateur interrogators is whether they are pursuing truth, or just acknowldegment and prestige. If it's the latter, you can just say, "go to school."